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Hello, I am Marion. I hold a Bachelor's degree in Community Psychology. I am the administrative Network Assistant for AgriProFocus Uganda Office and my job is to support the coordination team in their daily activities. I moderate the online platform and perform secretarial duties assigned.

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AIA: Making agriculture ‘sexy’ will end the African youth unemployment crisis

Agriculture is perceived as socially non-prestigious by most unemployed youths who are surrounded by agricultural opportunities but they refuse to see them

Agricultural activities seem uncomfortable and unsafe for the youth fuelling the unemployment crisis in Africa.

People dedicated to agriculture are perceived to go through a lot of things, ranging from stress associated with work to unproductivity due to infestations.

Youths usually want to look their best and have a comfortable work condition, and because starting to farm involves digging, tilling lands, watering, removing weeds, burning, and maybe encountering snakes, scorpions, and other earth creatures, they would rather remain at home than to join the farming train.

In education, the evolved African educational curricula fail to include material agriculture. Some schools teach agriculture but mostly the soft aspect of it, with few or no practical sessions.

LINC is a US-based small business that assists local and international organizations to design effectively, increase institutional capacity, forge lasting partnerships, and measure impact. We have developed ground-breaking tools to map organizational networks, measure social capital, and leverage systems-based approaches to development. We understand the unique constraints local organizations face and offer practical solutions via training, consulting services, research and advocacy. At LINC, we believe that a practical approach to engaging committed, capable local organizations

Vacancy at Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture (CNFA)

This organization is responding to a call for proposals and offering a role subject to project award

Project background:

CNFA is currently seeking applications from qualified candidates for an anticipated USAID-funded Feed the Future (FtF) Inclusive Agricultural Markets Activity in Uganda. The purpose of this Activity is to increase incomes and improve livelihoods of households through agricultural-led inclusive economic growth. The Activity will increase the institutional capacity of Government institutions, the private sector, and civil society organizations, and will create incentives for agribusinesses to invest in the market system and be more responsive to changes in it.

We develop tailor-made solutions to challenging problems for our clients. As a competent service provider, GIZ supports the German Government in achieving its objectives. Visit our website for more information

Call for proposals for youth-led Water and Climate projects. GET SUPPORT!

This call for proposals has been designed to identify, encourage and support youth engagement related to water management and climate change adaptation. It is made possible thanks to the International Secretariat for Water and the contribution of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and will enable youth from around the world to access financial support to help implement innovative and creative water and climate projects.

Activities and timeline

Submission deadline: 16 October 2018. All project submissions received in that period will be admissible. Announcement of the results to the project leaders: 9 November – 2 December 2018.Showcase of winning projects: COP24 – December 2018

Women Deliver is a leading global advocacy organization. We build capacity, forge partnerships, create networks, develop messages and catalyze actions that spark political commitment and investment in the health, rights, and well being of girls and women throughout the world. We bring together diverse voices and interests to share solutions and drive progress in gender equality.

Note:

There is a preference for Kenyan and Ugandan Nationals to apply; non-Nationals will also be considered assuming language proficiency.

Vacancy announcement at WFP

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) is the United Nations frontline agency against world hunger. WFP cherishes and takes pride in its human capital; therefore, we seek to recruit competent persons for the position below;

Current Career Opportunities at aBi Trust

Q-Sourcing Limited on behalf of Agricultural Business Initiative (aBi) is seeking to recruit experienced personnel for the Positions indicated below.

Company profile:

Agricultural Business Initiative (aBi), a group of registered companies namely aBi Trust and aBi Finance Ltd, is a multi-stakeholder entity co-founded in July 2010 by the Governments of Uganda and Denmark contributing to a competitive and sustainable agricultural sector in support for equitable wealth creation in Uganda.

The main focus of aBi Trust is to promote increase in agricultural production and value addition by extending matching grants and business development services.

aBi Finance Ltd promotes expansion of access to business finance for agricultural producers and agribusinesses by offering to Financial Institutions incentives and infrastructure that support agricultural lending.

Vacancies at Self Help Africa Uganda

Self Help Africa (SHA) is an International Non-Governmental Organization implementing rural development, sustainable food and livelihoods security programmes in nine countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. SHA’s vision is an economically thriving and resilient rural Africa with a mission to support sustainable livelihoods for Uganda’s smallholder farmers. SHA has been working in Uganda for close to 20 years. Self Help Africa Uganda urgently seeks to recruit suitable candidates to fill the following positions:

Rooftop farming: why vertical gardening is blooming in Kampala

Ugandans are finding creative solutions to the growing challenges of urbanisation

When Martin Agaba realised his urban farm had run out of space, he decided the solution was not to expand outwards but upwards.

“We realised we had to use the roof,” he says. Of all the innovations that have galvanised people in his district in the Ugandan capital Kampala to grow their own food, these vertical box plantations remain his favourite.

Kwagala farm, located on half an acre of land, is the brainchild of Diana Nambatya, a professor in public health, who began growing vegetables to save money on food in 2010.

After receiving two cows as a dowry, she decided to use their dung to generate biogas for her home. Her burgeoning urban farm soon attracted the attention of the neighbours, and in 2012 she started training women at a small demonstration centre.

Maarten Hermus
Thanks for sharing!Rooftop farming looks nice and brings people closer to their food, which is a good trend. However it is expensive as most roofs cannot support soil and crops without additional investment. I like backyard farming more, backyard farming is not only bringing food production and understanding closer to people, but can even help a household sustain their own need for, for example, vegetables and herbs.I think that commercial urban farming should get more attention in this article. As for example KCCA Kyanja farm, but also we at Holland GreenTech, is promoting. For example greenhouse production can be a high income generator for people in urban or semi-urban areas. This enables not only self supportive production but development of sustainable business, and supplying food fort the cities beyond personal need! Check out www.hollandgreentech.com or https://web.facebook.com/HollandGreenTechUganda on how we support farmers. Cheers, Maarten Hermus - Holland GreenTech

Using solar energy to irrigate your farm

Irrigation systems need to be powered. Unfortunately for Ugandans, national grid electricity is not yet in all corners of the country.

Rural Uganda, where most of the farming in the country takes place, is the worst-hit.

With an average of 75 kWh per year, Uganda has one of the lowest electricity consumption per citizen in Africa. Only about 15% of Ugandans are connected to the grid, leaving the rest languishing in darkness.

“According to available data, Uganda’s national grid electrification rate is 12% in urban and about 5% in rural areas. The majority of the people in rural areas strongly rely on lighting mechanisms like candles and kerosene lamps, which emit noxious fumes and present a hazard in terms of fires or burns, especially to children,” says energyprogramme.or.ug.

Solar energy-powered water pumps are coming onto the market.

“The beauty of solar-powered water pumps is that they are very mobile. They are also easy to install on a par

Job opportunity at SolarNow

SolarNow is a Uganda-based company with Dutch origin selling and financing solar home systems. We transform the lives of East Africans by providing quality, sustainable energy solutions at affordable prices, through client focused, committed professionals.

We pride ourselves on putting our clients at the heart of everything we do. We aim to serve every client’s energy needs for their whole life. Start today and upgrade with us for life. SolarNow is currently seeking to recruit a qualified person to fill the position of;

Youth strikes gold in farming

Nsubuga fixing drip irrigation bottles around the orange plant at his farm in Mukono District. Photo by Lominda Afedraru

Unlike most youth who like living in cities gambling and doing petty jobs, some are beginning to realise the importance of farming.

Nsubuga’s journey One such youth is Hudson Nsubuga, 20, from Kiragira Village in Mukono District who abandoned city life and embarked on farming.

Nsubuga lived his life from childhood with his grandmother in Kampala with passion in pursing his education. He began paying his school fees right from primary until when he completed Advanced Level two years ago.

Throughout this period, he has been engaged in casual labour work with well-wishers and being a friendly child, people would give him handout cash to pay his tuition.

When he reached Senior Four, he started doing part time work as a taxi conductor for purposes of raising school fees.

Starts farming However, upon completing advanced level, one of the elders in his

K+S Expands Activities in East Africa

K+S Fertilizer have expanded their activities in East Africa. Sub-Saharan Africa is a region with very high growth potential that reminds us of Brazil, India or China in recent decades,” explains K+S CEO Dr. Burkhard Lohr. The entry point to sub-Saharan Africa already happened through an aid program in Uganda in 2013. Since then, a lot has happened. “Of course, our activities in Uganda are also about being economically successful. At the same time, however, it is also capacity building and, in my opinion, an approach to show the people the prospects they have in their own country. This I see as a key to answering the refugee question.”

K+S is currently investing in agricultural infrastructure in Uganda, such as fertilizer blending plants, grain handling processing, and storage facilities near the Ugandan capital, Kampala.

In a second step, K+S, together with local partners, will set up a digital trading platform. In the process, a Ugandan partner

Heed warnings on soil fertility

In Summary

The issue: Soil fertility.

Our view: A policy on soil, if passed and implemented, would benefit both the farmers who want high yields, and would ensure that Uganda remains the land that feeds us.

On Wednesday, the ministry of Agriculture rang an alarm bell regarding the fertility of Uganda’s arable land. Findings showed that 21 percent of Uganda’s arable land is infertile. This means that the soil on this land cannot support plant growth.

Read full article here to find out the worrying reasons based on the findings

The Kampala Innovations Week 2018

This year in collaboration with the International Trade Centre (ITC), we are excited to host the Innovation week with single focus on “Financing Uganda’s Innovation Ecosystem” This will be a first step to converge and build initial awareness for the multiple ecosystem partners on opportunities to finance the ecosystem through collaboration. The Week will highlight the role of capital in stimulating entrepreneurship and also discovering various ways in which industry players might collaborate with entrepreneurs and SMEs.

The KIW are hosting a Kampala Innovation Week Kick off this evening at The Innovation Village. Come out and enjoy happy hour drinks and great conversation to conclude the first day of Kampala Innovation Week! This is a great way to mix and mingle with local entrepreneurs, artists, designers and innovators across Kampala. See you there!

The Kampala Innovation Week 2018

The Kampala Innovation Week is an annual event set to bring together all the various key players from different sectors to celebrate re-focus and energize the innovation efforts in Uganda and across the region.

At the core of the Kampala Innovation Week, is the fundamental belief that innovation can be a transformational tool to solve the biggest challenges in the private, public, academia and civil society of Uganda.

This year in collaboration with the International Trade Centre (ITC), we are excited to host the Innovation week with single focus on “Financing Uganda’s Innovation Ecosystem” This will be a first step to converge and build initial awareness for the multiple ecosystem partners on opportunities to finance the ecosystem through collaboration. The Week will highlight the role of capital in stimulating entrepreneurship and also discovering various ways in which industry players might collaborate with entrepreneurs and SMEs.

Pakasa Youth Awards 2018 launched: Winners to travel to China

For the third time in a row; Vision Group will be looking for the most enterprising youths to award

The prestigious Pakasa Youth Awards, a national entrepreneurship competition is back, as Uganda continues to seek solutions to curb its high youth unemployment rate.

Launched in 2015, the Pakasa Youth Awards seek out exemplary young entrepreneurs from all over the country to honor.

The award aims at inspiring a change in mind-set among young people to regard entrepreneurship as a viable source of income, in the face of rampant youth unemployment.

The New Vision Editor-in-Chief Barbara Kaija says just like has been the case before, the Pakasa Youth Awards is not looking for young enterprising people who have made it.

“We are looking for those trying; those who have not waited for capital but, those who have used the limited resources they have to create jobs. We are bringing these young people as role models for the young peop